


October 12: Cross Dressing

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, but i digress, cross dressing, kinktober2019, nothing bad happens, which i don't consider a kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 08:17:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21033134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Mike's at his neighborhood bar in a different look than usual and runs into Sonny.





	October 12: Cross Dressing

Mike takes a deep breath as he stands outside the bar. He doesn't usually go to his neighborhood bar when he's dressed like this, but he'd wanted to do exactly two things tonight: wear the new pencil skirt he'd ordered and have a beer or two.

He'd originally planned to finish work at five, then go home, change, and take the forty-minute subway ride to a bar where he knows no one is going to look twice at his wardrobe. But circumstances had left him at the station until seven, and that made the forty-minute subway ride after his lengthy prep time just feel grinding. So, neighborhood bar it is. 

He opens the door and steps in. No one looks over. It's crowded as usual on a Friday night, and Mike can't spot a free table, but he does see a couple of chairs open at the end of the bar. He considers his options briefly and realizes that even if a table opens up, the Friday night wait staff are as likely to recognize him as the bartender. So, where he sits doesn't really matter.

He sits in the last chair at the bar, pulling his wallet from his purse with a slightly shaking hand. 

"What can I get you, Miss?" the bartender--Patel--asks. He blinks in surprise when Mike looks up. "Have we met?" 

Mike takes another deep breath. "Not like this," he says. "It's still just Mike, though."

"Oh!" Patel nods and quickly scans Mike up and down. "Okay. Sure. Sorry. Your hair's different. Your usual, or do you want to try the new tap? It's a Pilsner."

Mike relaxes completely. He and Patel have a passing friendship based on a mutual hatred of the Yankees and a love of good Pilsners. He's grateful for the easy acceptance. "I'll try the Pilsner," he says. 

"Gimme a sec," Patel says and walks down the bar.

Mike's hand isn't shaking when he takes his debit card from his wallet. He feels light, and he knows he's smiling like a fool. But it feels good to sit in his neighborhood bar dressed like he is, in the way that he doesn't really share with people because it's not their business but can also be hard to explain. 

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

And just like that, Mike's hands are shaking again. He knows that voice. He shakes his head rather than answer with words. Maybe he'll be ignored. 

"Thanks." Sonny sits next to Mike, a beer in his left hand, and holds out his right. "Sonny Carisi. I won't bother you."

Mike reaches out to shake his hand without meaning to, Sonny's open friendliness as easy to fall into as ever. He and Sonny have known each other for months and have been on three dates, but Mike's never mentioned this side of himself to him. "Hi," Mike says, and he can tell by the way Sonny's hand tightens over his that Sonny's realized who he is. "I can--"

"You look like someone I know," Sonny interrupts. He loosens his hold on Mike's hand to end the handshake, but not in a shocked way of trying to jerk away. Mike feels himself relax a little and turns to fully face Sonny. 

"Funny," Mike says, and he can hear the slight quaver in his voice, "the bartender said I looked familiar, too."

Sonny's grin is nervous, but honest. "Must have one of those faces."

"Must have," Mike echoes.

Patel comes back with a taster of the Pilsner and cuts Sonny a quick look. "You need another?" he asks, gesturing to Sonny's beer.

"Nah, still working on it," Sonny says. "But I was wanting to order the steak sandwich."

"Sure," Patel says. He glances at Mike. "You want food?"

"I'll do the steak sandwich," Mike says, then throws back the taster for the Pilsner like it's a shot of hard alcohol. He points to the empty glass and nods to show Patel he'll take a pint.

"Two steak sandwiches and a Pils," Patel says and walks away again.

The silence feels heavy, but Mike doesn't know what to say into it. Sonny's given him an out, and he's taken it. How does he start a different conversation?

"Have you had the steak sandwich?" Sonny asks. "I haven't, but a friend of mine--we're kind of dating, actually--he really likes it.

"It's one of my favorites," Mike says. He smooths a hand down his skirt and decides to take a chance. "What's your friend's name?"

"Mike."

Mike gives Sonny a small smile. "That's my name, too."

Sonny returns the smile, leaning towards Mike a bit. "Oh, how about that."

"You guys are dating?"

"Kind of. It's still new, but…" Sonny's grin goes a little goofy, and Mike is floored as he realizes he's the reason for it. "I'm really into him, so I'm hoping it works out."

"I'm kind of dating someone, too," Mike says slowly. "It's really good so far. He's...he's really sweet."

Sonny's grin absolutely takes over his face. "Yeah? Good."

"It is good." Mike looks away from Sonny as Patel drops off his Pilsner. He takes a long drink of it. Sonny stays quiet next to him, seemingly comfortable in the silence. "I haven't told him about my...extensive wardrobe," he says, looking into his glass. "I've had bad luck with guys in the past responding negatively to it."

Sonny nods and takes another sip of his beer. "It doesn't bother me," he says, and listening to him drop the pretense of talking about other people makes hope flutter in Mike's chest. 

"No?"

"I saw you walk in and thought you were beautiful," Sonny says. "I didn't see that it was you until I came up here. But I saw you walk in, and I thought it was too bad I'm wanting to get serious with you because your ass in that skirt was making me sort-of wish for a one-night stand."

Mike laughs, surprised and delighted. "God, you really are an ass guy, aren't you?"

Sonny laughs with him. "Pretty sure groping you after our last date made that clear."

Mike snorts at the memory. He'd meant to kiss Sonny goodnight and go into his building, and instead, they'd made out for ten minutes, and Sonny had grabbed his ass hard more than once. "That's true." He watches Sonny take another drink of his beer and decides to be fearless. "This could be our fourth date, if you wanted." 

Sonny nods so eagerly Mike laughs again. "I'd like that a lot," Sonny says. 

"Me, too," Mike replies, and he can't help but lean in and press a quick kiss to Sonny's cheek. "Thank you," he says quietly as he pulls away. 

Sonny touches Mike's hand on the counter top and weaves their fingers together. "Thank you," Sonny replies, and when Mike looks back months' later, he'll know this is the moment when he knew they'd work out for the long haul.

**Author's Note:**

> I am not tagging this as a trans story because my (admittedly brief) research shows that cross dressing can be something one does without gender identity issues. However, I also intentionally didn't explain Mike's reasons for enjoying dressing as a woman because it wasn't the focus of the story. And I also don't consider this a kink, but YMMV. So, yeah. That's my notes.


End file.
